The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is probably the largest consideration when shopping around for the cheapest car insurance for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with higher performance, poor crash test ratings, or a track record of large liability claims will cost more to insure than more modest models.
The next table estimates auto insurance premiums for a selection of the more affordable vehicles to insure.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $854 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $864 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $925 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $931 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $940 |
| Toyota Prius | $944 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $959 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $967 |
| Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $959 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $967 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $992 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $997 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,011 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,020 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,011 |
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Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can modify insurance rates considerably.
Based upon these rates, models like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape are likely to be the less-costly vehicles to insure for older drivers.
For older drivers, one of the largest components that help determine the price you pay for insurance is where you normally keep your vehicle. More densely populated places tend to pay more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates profit from lower rates.
The next table lists the highest-priced places in California for drivers over age 50 to buy auto insurance in. San Diego is listed at #20 with the yearly price of $1,381 on average, which is approximately $115 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 21 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 22 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 23 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 24 | Bakersfield | $1,340 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
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Premium costs are comparative as the specific zip code location can influence auto insurance rates noticeably.
Deciphering which companies offer the most affordable insurance rates for drivers over age 50 will involve a bit more work in order to find the most economical policy. Every insurance provider uses a slightly different approach to set policy rates, so we need to take a look at the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in San Diego, CA.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance for Age 50+
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 12 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
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USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,109 annually. This is $542 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheapest San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could earn annual savings of around $48. California drivers with Century National may save as much as $69 a year, and CSAA policyholders might lower prices by up to $77 a year.
If you want to see how much you could save, click here to start a quote or visit any of the companies below.
Bear in mind that those policy rates are averages across all drivers and vehicles in California and and are not calculated with an exact location for drivers over age 50. So the car insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
Get discounts on San Diego insurance
Car insurance companies that provide policies for drivers over age 50 could also offer special discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 30% if you are eligible. A list of insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- GEICO discounts include membership and employees, driver training, military active duty, multi-vehicle, daytime running lights, and good student.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for multi-policy, claim-free, accident-free, good driver, good student, defensive driver
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and online signing.
- Travelers has savings for early quote, new car, good student, continuous insurance, driver training, IntelliDrive, and payment discounts.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for bundle discounts, teen safety rewards, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, anti-theft, and teen safe driver.
- AAA includes discounts for pay-in-full, good student, anti-theft, multi-policy, good driver, education and occupation, and AAA membership discount.
The example below shows the comparison of premium costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with anti-theft, claim-free, accident-free, vehicle safety, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for drivers over age 50 is 29% or $781.
Driving violations and accidents
The ideal way to maintain low insurance prices for older drivers is to drive carefully and not get tickets or have accidents. The example below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions can increase auto insurance rates for different age groups. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the prior example, the average cost of car insurance per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,768. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $2,437, an increase of $669 each year. Then add in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for drivers over age 50 goes up to an average of $3,106. That’s an increase of $1,338, or $112 per month, just for not driving attentively!
The example below highlights how deductible selection can impact yearly insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for drivers over age 50. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As shown above, a 50-year-old driver could cut expenses by $476 a year by changing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the 20-year-old example, could save $1,216 each year just by choosing higher deductibles.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will now be necessary to have enough savings to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense associated with higher deductibles.
Why you should be shopping around
San Diego insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially change the price you pay. Simply turning a year older, having a teenage driver, or getting a ticket for running a stop sign can cause premium changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper in comparison to the competition.
And not only may your rating factors change, but companies change prices multiple times each year to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Significantly higher claims can result in more expensive prices, while a lower level of claims may produce cheaper San Diego car insurance rates.
For example, the bar chart below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and a good credit history. If we estimate prices based on his current situation, Wawanesa might offer the lowest car insurance rates in San Diego at $1,202 each year. This is $449 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. USAA, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide round out the rest of the best San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver in the first chart an at-fault accident, poor credit, and a few blemishes on his driving record. Since every car insurance company has a unique formula for determining prices, comparing quotes may now present a different ranking of companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in San Diego, CA with Progressive, Allstate, Mercury, and Allied also being competitive. This example demonstrates why drivers need to compare lots of rates to get the most economical auto insurance rates for drivers over age 50. Car insurance prices are influenced by many factors and change substantially, so the best option the last time you shopped your coverage around may now cost much more than other companies.